Margot Lewis : "Iowa Woman Accused of Driving with Dead Body"

1. Iowa woman driving with deceased passenger
2. Woman accused of transporting dead body in car.

Accident – Death – Obituary News : A 32-year-old woman has been taken into custody in Minnesota after authorities discovered a deceased individual in the rear of a vehicle she was operating. Margot Lewis, a resident of North Liberty Iowa, was driving a Chevrolet Sonic on Interstate 90 in Olmsted County when the vehicle collided with guard rails and crashed at approximately 7 a.m. on Saturday, according to a statement from the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office reported that a passerby assisted Lewis out of her vehicle and was providing aid when law enforcement arrived on the scene. Upon inspecting the vehicle for any additional occupants, officers discovered the body of a 35-year-old woman in the back seat. The deceased, identified as Liara Tsai from Minneapolis, was found “folded in a mattress” and wrapped in various items including a bed sheet, blanket, futon-style mattress, and tarp, as per court documents. Authorities noted that the body was cold to the touch with no pulse detected, and a significant wound near the carotid artery was visible, along with dried blood stains on the bed sheet.

“The condition of the deceased raised suspicions, indicating that the death was not a result of the car accident,” stated the sheriff’s department in an official news release. An initial autopsy conducted by the Medical Examiner’s Office suggested that the fatal injuries sustained by the victim were not related to the crash, but preceded it.

In a subsequent update, the sheriff’s office revealed that the Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner’s Office determined the initial cause of death to be “multiple sharp force injuries.” Following this discovery, multiple agencies, including the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, carried out a search at a residence in Minneapolis linked to the victim. Inside the residence, signs of violence were reportedly found, according to the sheriff’s office.

Meanwhile, Lewis was cleared medically and taken into custody on suspicion of interference with a dead body or scene of death. She remains detained as of Wednesday afternoon, as indicated by the center’s custody list. Lewis appeared in Olmsted County Court on Tuesday morning and afternoon, with her next court appearance scheduled for July 5. At present, there is no legal representation listed for Lewis in this case.